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But Hecatæus of Miletus, describing an Arcadian banquet in the third book of his Genealogies, says that it consists
chiefly of barley-cakes and pork. But Harmodius of Lepreum,
in the third book of his treatise on the Laws of the People
of Phigalea, says—“The man among the Phigaleans who is
appointed superintendent of the food, brought every day
three choes of wine, and a medimnus of flour, and five mine
weight of cheese, and other things suitable for the preparing
of the victims. And the city provided each of the choruses
with three sheep, and a cook, and a water-carrier, and tables,
and seats for the guests to sit down upon, and all other
similar appointments; only that the choregus supplied the
vessels which the cook required. And the banquet was of
the following description: Cheese, and barley-cake, for the
sake of' preserving the laws, served up in brazen baskets,
which are by some people called mazonoma, having derived
their name from the use to which they are put; and together
with the barley-cake and cheese, paunches and salt are
given the guests to eat. And when they have offered these
things to the gods, then they give every one a portion of
wine to drink in a small mug, made of earthenware: and he
[p. 241]
who brings the wine says, May you sup well. And the there
is put on the table for general use some soup and some minced
meat; and every one has two slices of meat put within his
reach. And it was a custom of theirs at all their banquets,
and most especially at those which were called Mazones, or
barley-feasts, (for even now the feast in honour of acchus
has this name,) to give those of the young men who ate most
manfully, a larger quantity of broth, and also to set before
them barley-cakes and loaves, for such an one was considered
a noble-minded and a valiant man for a large appetite was
considered an admirable and a famous thing among them.
But after supper was over, they used to make libations, without having washed their hands, but merely wiping hem on
pieces of bread; and each of them took away with him that
on which he had wiped his hands, doing this on account of
the nightly objects of fear which arise to frighten men in the
cross roads: and after the libations a paean is sung. But when
they sacrifice to the Heroes, a very large sacrifice of oxen takes
place, and they all feast with the slaves; and the children
sit at table with their fathers, sitting naked on the stones.”

But Theopompus, in the forty-sixth book of his account of
the Exploits of Philip, says—“The Arcadians in their banquets admit both masters and slaves, and prepare but one
table for all; and they place the food for all in the middle, and
they mix the same bowl of wine for the whole company.”

Athenaeus. The Deipnosophists. Or Banquet Of The Learned Of Athenaeus. London. Henry G. Bohn, York Street, Covent Garden. 1854.

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